


The Ballad of the Lioness of Ferelden

by EmberLeo



Series: Dragon Age: The Musical! [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Ballad, F/M, Song Lyrics, verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 00:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberLeo/pseuds/EmberLeo
Summary: “And we will most definitely drink to you.” Dorian smiled. “To the woman who showed a group of rogue Templars that it wasn’t quite as easy to take the Grand Forest Villa as they thought it would be.”“Going to write a song about it?” she teased.“Don’t tempt me, my dear.”- The Lady and the Lion, by AuroraBorealia, LadyNorbert"Guys! I found the bard!"- The Internets-E-





	The Ballad of the Lioness of Ferelden

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AuroraBorealia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraBorealia/gifts), [LadyNorbert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNorbert/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Lady and the Lion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10832628) by [AuroraBorealia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraBorealia/pseuds/AuroraBorealia), [LadyNorbert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNorbert/pseuds/LadyNorbert). 



> So, I was reading through The Lady and the Lion, and of course loving it, as it's a great story. And then Dorian had the temerity to NOT write a ballad after a perfectly good ballad prompt was presented to him. The gall!
> 
> Challenge accepted!
> 
> The original song is Loreena McKennit's The Highwayman: https://youtu.be/4yzXQZmG8cw
> 
> -E-

The Lion of Ferelden  
Was a master of the sword  
So loyal was he to his country  
That the King made him a Lord  
He granted him lands and a title  
Arranged him a Marcher bride  
And made him the lord of the Villa  
The Lord of the Grand Forest Villa  
So his family came to the Villa  
Where his household would abide  
  
His bride was a lady of Ostwick  
And none so fair as she  
With hair like feathers of ravens  
And eyes like the Waking Sea.  
As Her lord shone crowned with the sunlight  
Her maidenly fears were quelled  
And she married him in the chantry  
The chantry, chantry  
She married her lord in the chantry  
As the King and Queen beheld  
  
So great was her love for the Lion  
So great was his love for his bride  
Though beset with illness and bandits  
He would not leave her side  
When Wintersend brought them snowfall  
Throughout the forest wild  
The Lion announced to the Villa  
Announced to the Grand Forest Villa  
A joyful news for the Villa  
Their lady was with child!  
  
Not a season after their feasting  
As the lady’s belly swelled  
Poor news came o’er from the Marches  
Their Templars had rebelled  
She worried then for her kinfolk  
As she’d worried them before  
When a messenger came riding  
Riding, riding  
The Arl’s good man came riding  
“The King calls you to war!”  
  
The Divine had called on the Chantry  
The Chantry called on the Kings  
For soldiers to fight the Red Templars  
Yet more the message stings:  
For the Templars were lead by Samson  
Could the Lion foresee his ends?  
For the Lion had once been a Templar  
At Kinloch been a Templar  
In Kirkwall he’d been a Templar  
And Samson was his friend  
  
The lady despaired for her husband  
The Lion despaired for his life  
His company rode fast for Denerim  
But his thoughts still clung to his wife  
He wrote her each night by the campfire  
She kept all his letters dear  
When a messenger came riding  
Riding, riding  
A Grey Warden came riding  
“Red Templars are coming here!”  
  
The Villa sprang into action  
They’d little time to plan  
The household would journey to Redcliffe  
They’d empty the house to a man  
Two carriages left from the Villa  
They each thought their lady inside  
But the lady had stayed with the Warden  
She’d conjured a plot with the Warden  
And the lady entreated the Warden  
“Good Warden, you must ride!”  
  
And fast rode the Warden for Denerim  
To warn the King and their Lord  
Of Templar Rogues in Ferelden  
Who sought his consort’s blood  
But the Lion wasn’t in Denerim  
The army had gone to the sea  
On a fresh horse again he was riding  
Riding, riding  
Through hail and snow flew riding  
To bring the Lion their plea  
  
In the Villa the lady was waiting  
With only her butler to guard  
A good man, steadfast and loyal  
He knew her plan would be hard  
Not hours they waited for Samson  
She’d dressed as a servant before  
When at last there came a pounding  
Pounding, pounding  
An armored fist was pounding  
The Templars were at the door!  
  
She welcomed the Templars and Samson  
As a housekeeper modest and tame  
She offered them lodging and respite  
And so began her game  
With Samson the two made a bargain  
They’d treat these rogues as lords  
And serve them at home in the Villa  
As guests of the Grand Forest Villa  
They’d stay here in peace in the Villa  
If the Templars stayed their swords  
  
Red Templars were rogues, thieves, and traitors  
But Samson had once been a knight  
He kept his word to the mistress  
They stayed without a fight  
She lured them, cunning and patient  
She swallowed her anger and fear  
For she knew these rogues in her Villa  
Had traveled far to her Villa  
They couldn’t just want her Villa  
The rest of their plan she’d hear  
  
They waited through days of deception  
They served as a mistress and knave  
The Templars learned to ignore them  
And soon their tongues grew brave  
While mocking the love of her lion  
Red Samson’s plan did slide  
His Templars would conquer Redcliffe  
They knew they needed Redcliffe  
She could not let them take Redcliffe  
Her family was inside!  
  
On the shores of Amaranthine  
The lords and King stood aground  
The army was boarding the tall ships  
To Val Royeaux they were bound  
As the dogs and horses were boarding  
A runner arrived with speed  
“A Grey Warden comes riding  
From Den’rim he comes riding  
From Redcliffe he comes riding  
With news the Lion needs!”  
  
The Arl and King were suspicious  
As the Lion stood aloof  
The Warden delivered the letter  
With his lady’s pendant for proof  
“My Lord, please trust my intentions  
And hear what I have learned!  
Red Templars have taken the Villa  
Two weeks they’ve held your Villa  
Your lady has stayed in the Villa  
My lord, you must return!”  
  
And down in the village of Redcliffe  
The Goodman collected supplies  
To ease the pains of his Lady  
And bake the rogues a surprise  
The lady had plans to delay them  
Her wit would save them all  
She baked some tarts for the Templars  
Some poisoned tarts for the Templars  
She’d serve death root to the Templars  
For Redcliffe must not fall!  
  
The Lady pretended to like them  
“Good Ser, before you go!  
I’ve baked warm tarts for your Templars  
To ward them ‘gainst the snow.”  
Red Samson suspected nothing  
They trusted the servants still  
So the Templars praised the Villa  
They’d all remember the Villa  
They’d all go mad in the Villa  
If the Lady had her will!  
  
She climbed the stairs to the tower  
Her Goodman guarding the way  
When Samson left for the horses  
He knew they could not stay  
The Templars ravaged each other  
As the poison ravaged their minds  
When Samson returned to the Templars  
He found his raving Templars  
And he found the tarts for the Templars  
With the death root berries inside  
  
“I’ll kill her!” Samson snarled  
“And the babe beneath her heart!”  
he spun, with his sword bare, to find her  
And he searched the kitchen to start  
With the trees all frosted with winter  
He knew she was hidden inside...  
When Cullen, the lord of the Villa  
The lord of the Grand Forest Villa  
Came riding toward the villa  
With his warriors by his side  
  
The King sent the Arl and the Lion  
To rescue their homes and their kin  
They found the brave Lady and Goodman  
And the madmen bleeding within  
Red Samson quickly surrendered  
He cursed the bitter day  
When the Lioness of Villa  
The maid of the Grand Forest Villa  
Had bested him in the Villa  
He never should have stayed!  
  
The Lioness of Ferelden  
Was a mistress of the game  
So crafty was she in her wisdom  
All Fereldan knew her name  
The King granted boons and a promise  
To hail her heroic deeds  
For the Lioness of the Villa  
Lady of the Grand Forest Villa  
And her baby, born in the Villa  
Are just what a Lion needs!

 


End file.
